Pirates of the Federation
by VortassianChick
Summary: A collaboration of ST:TNG, ST:VOY, and ST:DS9. Based on the script and movie "Pirates of the Caribbean 1." Rated T for graphic descriptions. Cast: Data as Will Turner, Seven as Elizabeth Swann, & Lore as Jack Sparrow. Complete 4 now.
1. Prologue: That Fateful Day

_~Pirates of the Federation~_

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_Written by MTrek_

_Edited by BookFan87_

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_Prologue: That Fateful Day…_

_A couple notes: For those of you that abhorred the ending of ST:X Nemesis, you may like this version a bit better. It is one view I have of what _should_ have happened. I do hope all of you Trekkies and Pirates enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it!_

_This crossover is lovingly dedicated to my beta readers and my editor-in-chief. You guys were an immense help in the development of this. Thanks for putting up with me! :) God bless!_

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* * *

_Quietly floating next to the Daystrom Institute above Earth, the new Reactor-class _Dauntless _scanned itself for any residual problems before leaving orbit. On board in the small mess hall, Ensign Seven of Nine leaned against a chair and stared out at the studded space beyond the transparent aluminum.

The former Borg was still adjusting to the much slower life of the Federation, not having to constantly remain on alert for foreign enemies. She smirked to herself, also getting used to regularly showing more of her human emotions. If it weren't for the decommissioning of _Voyager_, she would've been overjoyed to be back on that problem-stricken ship she called her home for years. She would have loved to be in _any_ type of action for that matter. Things were too peaceful for her liking.

Shifting uncomfortably in her baggy, mustard-colored Starfleet uniform, her thoughts wandered to some past stories Lieutenant Tom Paris had told her of ancient Earth. They had been predominantly composed of romantic sea pirate legends, lavishly overexaggerated she presumed. And Tom -- being Tom -- had included a few humorous and annoyingly catchy songs along with them. She began to softly murmur one of the simplest ones, a drinking song no less, to fill the quiet.

"… We kidnap, we pillage, we don't give a hoot. Drink up me hearties, yo ho…"

She didn't know why she found the little "ballad" so calming, but it helped her not feel so restless.

"…Yo ho, yo ho; a pirate's life for me…"

Repeating the first verse again, she wondered absently how the life of pirates really was, and she found herself wishing… she could be there with them…_ Back in the thrill, the peril…_

A lukewarm hand suddenly rested itself on her shoulder and brought her out of her daydream. She gasped lightly, forgetting about all the people in the hall with her.

The cerulean clad man, looking to be in his mid-fifties, frowned at her with concerned, deep brown eyes. His equally brown hair was sprinkled with flecks of white, further signifying his age. "Why are you singing that?" he asked suddenly. Seven was taken aback and opened her mouth to respond, but the man interrupted her. "I don't care what rank you are; nobody should sing so casually of pirates."

"Calm down, Maddox."

Both of them looked behind to see the dark, tattooed face of Captain Chakotay. Seven felt a stab of lament at the sight of her commanding officer. They had become distant since they'd returned to the Alpha Quadrant. She had hoped he could fill the gaping hole in her heart that needed the unconditional love of another being; and for a time, he had. But… like everything in her life lately, it didn't last.

Scientific General Bruce Maddox bristled at the captain's casual order. "I won't have anyone singing about those vagabonds on my station – not while I'm at its head. It's a bad idea in any sector."

"Well, we're not on your station, are we?" asked Chakotay stoically, a tad impatient with the paranoid, very prejudiced general. "Shouldn't you be though, sir? I gathered that you had a large project close to a breakthrough."

Giving Seven an undeserved glare, he grudgingly walked away. "Bad idea to have a _Borg_ in Starfleet too…" he murmured just loud enough for Chakotay to hear as he passed, "…even a former one."

The captain joined his old friend next to the chair. "Sorry about him," he offered.

She sighed and looked out at the stars again. "I'm just tired of it, sir. The routine, the silence… Singing a song that reminds me of past excitement helps me forget it."

He smiled kindly. "You don't have to explain yourself to me, Seven. But singing about _pirates?_ I have to agree with Maddox on that one. Why?"

"I don't know for certain…" she did her characteristic raising of one blonde brow. "The celebratory way Tom has talked to me about them always made me curious."

Chakotay clenched his jaw. "I wouldn't exactly call pirates 'celebrated.' The ones in the Federation today are far from that. They're all vile and dissolute. If you ask me, they all deserve a short and sudden stop."

Seven felt eyes on her back and glanced behind her. By the exit, Maddox imitated a phaser shot to his head. She rolled her eyes at the general. "Despite their less desirable qualities, they've always fascinated me."

"Ha, now _that's_ the casualness we've been enjoying lately coming out, " said Chakotay.

"Commander Kim to the captain, " interrupted his combadge.

"Go ahead, Harry," he replied to his first officer.

"We're receiving a major distress call from the Enterprise. They've engaged the Remans in Romulan territory."

Chakotay's soft countenance became serious once again. Shooting Seven an alarmed glance, he started for the bridge with her in tow.

* * *

Emerging out of warp, the _Dauntless_ came upon a depressing scene. Throughout the green nebula, the shredded remains of the _Enterprise_ hung in front of the damaged Reman ship _Scimitar_. Other friendlies, the now cooperating Romulan ships, limped away from the center of the former battle, trying to gain some distance. Sitting at tactical, Seven slumped inwardly. They looked to be too late for the fight.

Their new operations officer broke the uncomfortable silence aboard the bridge. "The Enterprise is stable for now, sir, but the Reman ship seems to be initiating a… _thalaron_ generator. It's increasing in intensity by the minute."

The_ Scimitar's_ finned sides were expanding, gathering up its strength to set off what all on board knew was a very fatal energy.

"I'm also reading two human life forms on board… and I believe a positronic signature as well," said operations. Chakotay sat forward slightly in his command chair. "One of the human life signs are fading fast."

"Can we beam them aboard?" asked the captain.

"Yes, sir—the second human life sign is gone… and the positronic is advancing towards the other human."

"Transporter chief, get a lock on those two." ordered Chakotay to the intercom.

"Aye, sir. Give me a second…" replied the chief.

"Captain, the human life sign is no longer aboard the Reman ship. He's been transported over to the Enterprise, but I'm reading no active transporters functioning on board," said operations.

"Well, as long as he's off…" remarked Chakotay. "Ensign Nine, I need you down in the transporter."

"Yes, sir." She obediently left the bridge and quickly entered the receiving bay. Waiting for the new arrival, she gazed out at the finned _Scimitar_ through a view port, still a little sore she couldn't have gotten off a few torpedoes at the Remans. The _one_ time they are called to action and they're too late. Figures.

"Energizing-" began the Antican transporter chief. But at the same instant he charged the coils, the _Scimitar_ suddenly exploded in front of them. As the shock wave hit their own ship, Seven's eyes went wide and she looked at him worriedly. The furred alien ogled at the bright explosion and Seven's heart skipped a beat. "…Did you get him?"

Shaking his gaze from the orange space, he numbly looked down at his console. "Y-yes! I have him mid-way!…"

The receiving pad glowed and a mid-height, pale-faced man energized into being -- leveling a phaser at them. Seven drew her own just in case. But quickly seeing he was wearing an operation's division uniform put her slightly at ease. When the cycle was complete, evidence of the explosion became evident on the man's overall composure. It looked like they'd gotten him out at the very last second. Clothes charred along his front, he fell into a heap on the pad.

Rushing forward, Seven attempted to catch him but was pulled down herself. "Medical emergency, transporter room!"

The captain then showed up in the room and came next to her. "Thank God!… Is he all right?"

"Still breathing," she remarked, putting a hand on his blackened chest. The EMH doctor came in the room and knelt down with his med-pack.

Chakotay frowned sympathetically at the man. "… I'd better let our friends know their man is all right." He stood again, and added upon leaving, "Ensign, stay with him. He'll need someone to let him know what happened."

* * *

Two hours later, the _Dauntless_ towed the half-destroyed _Enterprise_ back to Earth's repair-dock. The crew and captain of the _Enterprise_ had been overjoyed to hear their second officer was rescued and a few even requested to be beamed over. But the Doctor denied their requests, insisting he needed to work. As Seven stood next to the unconscious officer, she could tell that was just to keep people out of what little holographic hair he had. Upon his closer examination though, it turned out their guest wasn't even human, but an artificial life form.

With a short sigh, the Doctor tapped a few keys on his PADD. "I really do wish that the captains of Starfleet would recognize the fact that I'm an organic doctor, not an mechanical engineer."

How many times had she heard that one before… Looking down at the now cleaned-up man, Seven noted that his dark russet hair was a little tousled, so she reached her skinned hand to smooth it down slightly. He suddenly reacted to the touch and within a blur of motion, too fast for even her to see, he grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip. The Doctor came to the bed as well and tried to pull the hand off Seven's forearm.

"It's all right," she tried to assure him. "You're aboard the Dauntless. We are towing your ship back to Earth dry-dock."

His eyes had been closed before she began to speak, but fluttered open at the sound of her voice. The deepest golden irises looked up at Seven with a dazed expression. He let go of her arm as quickly as he'd grabbed it and began breathing in short, disoriented respirations.

"Do you wish me to sedate him, Ensign?" asked the miffed Doctor.

"I don't believe you can," she replied matter-of-factly.

After a short pause, he said, "No, I suppose not." The EMH walked back to his desk. Seven leaned over the android to let him have a better look at her. "I'm Ensign Seven of Nine. I apologize for your disoriented state."

He looked like his cognitive functions were dwindling again, but he managed a kind voiced reply. "Lieutenant Commander Data…"

She smiled at him in an attempt to make him feel at ease; alas, it was lost as he was pulled back into obscurity. This time though, his head fell slightly more to the side, reveling a slightly open compartment under his hairline. Curious, she tried to put it back into place, but it instead it opened wider, as a spring latch would. Inside, she saw a most curious oddity. A holo-chip, much larger than normal was faintly visible. She frowned. Why would that be in there? It wasn't connected to anything, just sitting atop his internal plating. Taking it out, she looked closer at it. It was useless. Not even compatible with modern technology.

The intercom of the ship once again interrupted her thoughts. "Nine," said the captain, "You'd better get up here."

Subconsciously hiding the chip in her pants pocket, she left sickbay, her gaze lingering on the android until she was out of eye range.

Up on the bridge, she saw that they'd come out of warp above Earth, but that wasn't what was drawing the attention of all the faces around her. Slowly coming into view, the once serene Daystrom Institute was now in shredded ruins, some fires visible where the oxygen was still burning.

Seven quietly went to her station, eyes on the screen as well. _What had happened?_

Still aboard, the devastated Maddox looked at the remains, speechless. He was shaking his head in disbelief when he noticed her come in. A burning, accusatory glare came into his eyes. "I know every one's thinking it, and I'll be the first to say it… 'Pirates'." Beginning to stride over, he pointed a threatening finger at her. "It's your fault, _Borg!!_ Why did you have to mention pirates on _MY_ station??"

A few ensigns grabbed him before he could get too close. Chakotay stood up from his chair. "That's enough, General. This isn't Ensign Seven's fault any more than it is yours." Seven could see the broken desperation on Maddox's face as he struggled to get free from the ensigns' restraining arms. "Get him to his quarters," said the captain.

After spouting off several livid curses, Maddox yelled at her, "That station was everything to me! _You_ _invited them to--_" The turbolift doors closed, cutting him off.

Seven paid him little mind. In her years as a human, she knew through experience that a person's first instinct was to blame others. Chakotay began contacting Starfleet headquarters for more information on what had happened. Slipping her hand back into her pocket, the ensign quietly studied the mysterious holo-chip again. A small red indicator had just started flashing inside it. She frowned, confused. Did it have a homing beacon of some kind?

But another strange curiosity caught her eye. On her tactical readout, a faint reading of a foreign ship was detected, just off their aft port. Focusing on the data, she brought up a visual on her screen. Nearly invisible against the darkness of space, a very large, onyx hulled ship thrusted away. And on its stern, Seven saw one of the most dreaded symbols in the galaxy… the death flag of pirates.

Her eyes widened in shock…

* * *

_I'll have more up soon, but until then, thank you for taking the time to read and extra thanks to those who review. I love all your feedback! ;3 LL&P, my friends!_


	2. Chapter 1: Federation Day

_~Pirates of the Federation~_

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_Written by MTrek_

_Edited by BookFan87_

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_Chapter 1: Federation Day_

_Sorry for the delay on this to all my readers. Hope you enjoy this next installment!_

_LL&P! ;3

* * *

_Seven's sleep was interrupted by a sharp pang of excited fear far too great for her dormant mind to entertain. Coming back to reality, she studied the room. No, she wasn't on the bridge… just in her quarters.

"Lights, 30 percent." The computer obeyed her command, illuminating her room in a dull glow. Plain and sparse, only essential items composed the major areas, such as one table, chair, and replicator. Sitting up, Seven reached over to her nightstand, opened a drawer, and pulled out a few things. Underneath some books and mementos, the same, paper-thin chip was still there, the same as it was. The only difference now was that it wasn't flashing – it had not done so since that fateful day ten years ago…

Holding it in between her fingers, she sat on the edge of her bed and leaned on her propped arm. Seven hadn't dreamt that intensely in quite a while—especially of that particular day. Absently, she slid it into her cybernetic hand's former nanocortical fiber sheath. It fit perfectly. She didn't know why she'd kept it so long…

Suddenly, a door alert sounded, breaking her train of thought. Sparsely clad in her sleepwear, Seven grabbed a robe off the chair, causing it to topple loudly. A concerned, deep voice came from behind the door. "Seven, is everything all right? Are you decent?"

Tying the cord, her disheveled blonde hair fell in her face. "Yes—yes. Come in."

The balding Captain Jean-Luc Picard entered the dark room and grinned genially, albeit amusedly at Seven. "Still abed at this hour? On the most important day of the Federation?" Another person holding an elegant box entered with him, while Picard made his way over to the blinds. Tapping a wall panel, the shadowing tint of the window faded until it completely cleared, revealing a bright star reflecting off the hull of Deep Space Nine. "I have a gift for you, my dear."

Going back over to the aide, Picard opened the box carefully as Seven regarded him. He always seemed to dote on her every chance he got, be it for a special occasion or just because he was in the sector. She'd gotten to know the aging captain at Earth's repair dock and he'd become very fond of her, much to her surprise and confusion. But she did enjoy his company and had come to regard him as something of a father she never had.

He pulled out a royal blue, long-sleeved modest dress and held it up to her. She stepped forward with an appreciative smile, gingerly taking it from his hands. "You spoil me, Captain. I have very little need for party outfits."

"Ah," he said dismissively. "But certainly you need something else to wear besides our dreadful uniforms to the ceremony."

Folding the dress over her arm, Seven frowned sidelong at him as she walked back to her closet. "It is just a party aboard your old ship, Sir… Is there something more important I should be aware of?"

"Surely, you haven't forgotten, my dear—your Captain Chakotay's promotion ceremony?"

Peeking around the corner of her closet, she glared at him. _That's why he came here,_ she thought. _I knew it_.

"Or, rather, Commodore Chakotay. He's made quite a fine captain, wouldn't you say?"

She purposely didn't answer. Picard had been trying to get her and Chakotay back together ever since he'd discovered they were old flames.

"It's obvious he still fancies you, you know. Everyone can see that…"

Picard's aide had followed Seven into the closet, anticipating that she may need her help with the dress. It turned out she had assumed right. Seven slipped into the garment and to her dismay quickly discovered that, having lace-stays in the back it was _much_ tighter than a normal gown. The aide cinched it with a sharp tug, causing Seven to gasp involuntarily.

"Seven? How's it coming?"

The aide worked her way up the Borg's back, pulling it as hard as she possibly could. "Difficult to say…" the lieutenant answered.

"That dress was replicated with an ancient Earth corset. It was the height of fashion in nineteenth century France," he said from the main room.

"Well, women in nineteenth century France must have learned not to breathe." The aide finished her work and left the closet. Seven inhaled with a pained wince. _If anyone else had given me this dress…_

As she worked on the outer royal blue covering, she heard Picard's com-link chime. "Captain Picard, your first officer is waiting downstairs for you."

* * *

On the lower levels of the personal quarter complex, the first officer dawdled around the foyer. Clad in a red uniform, he held his hands behind his back as he waited. Slowly walking over to one of the interesting wall fixtures, he curiously reached up to outline its contours… then he absent-mindedly tested its strength. The swirling decoration immediately gave way under his unnatural hard pressure and came off in his hand. Quickly realizing what he'd done, his gaze darted guiltily around the room; but fortunately for him, there wasn't anybody watching. Stashing the broken piece in a waste receptacle, he came back to attention just in time for the captain to come out of the turbolift.

"Data! You actually made it," said Picard boisterously.

The android smiled in greeting to his old captain. "Happy Federation Day, Captain. I trust you are functioning within normal parameters?" he teased.

"Oh yes I'm perfectly fine, old friend. I feel younger in light of the day's upcoming events. How was the Gamma Quadrant assignment?"

"Quite uneventful. Captain Madden has great knowledge of—" Data broke off in mid-sentence when the turbolift doors opened again behind Picard, revealing the sapphire-clad Seven. His breath was taken away, in a manner of speaking.

Picard turned around, following Data's gaze. "Seven! You look absolutely stunning!"

Seven noticed Data's familiar pale face – maybe a shade paler than usual – immediately. "Data! It's so good to see you again." She walked across the foyer toward the two men, unconsciously placing a hand on her constricted chest.

"It is also gratifying to see you as well, Lieutenant Nine," answered Data with a faint smile. He was uncharacteristically nervous, but determined not to show it.

"Data, how many times do I need to ask you to call me 'Seven'?"

The officer nearly rattled off exactly how many times she had, but open-mouthed, he covered for his faux pas. "—At least once more, Lieutenant."

Seven looked disappointed, and possibly even a little hurt at his response. He inwardly cringed. When it came to matters of human romantic interactions, he was seriously lacking in experience.

"Go easy on the commander, Seven," said the captain with a laugh. "He has always been formal, even to his comrades." Straightening his dress uniform, he put a hand on her upper arm. "Now, we must be going. See you on the _Dauntless_, Number One."

Seven gathered up part of her dress in one hand and strode past Data. "Good day, Commander." She and Picard walked to the end of the foyer.

Data took a couple steps in their direction. "Good day…" The officers disappeared around the corner. "…Seven," he added under his breath.

* * *

Outside the station, the turret attachments sat at rest. They had made short work of all hostile vessels during the Dominion War, and all ever since. A more than subtle warning to anyone.

On the outskirts of these ruins, an arrow-shaped shuttle cruised toward the station. Its pilot looked at the destroyed ships as he passed. Usually a disheartening and gruesome sight to his particular kind, the ecru eyed, death-faced machine just gave a casual salute in respect. It was commonplace in Lore's life. Nothing he hadn't seen before.

A weak, garbled beeping alerted him that the engines were failing. Setting the shuttle in line with Deep Space Nine's recently added cargo bay, he gunned the nacelles in one last burst before they cut out. The station became larger through his view screen. As he calculated how much longer he had before reaching the bay, he glanced at the other large ships high above. Every docking spire was occupied, but there were two in particular that caught Lore's eye. The large, elongated _U.S.S Enterprise_ and _Dauntless_ demanded most of an onlooker's attention.

Inside the bay, the Aglerian traffic-controller stood in the middle of the crowded deck, taking inventory. An alert flashed up on his padd, interrupting his train of thought.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**Unidentified ship incoming.**

**Threat status = Negligible.**

**Power = Failed.**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He glanced up just as Lore's ship coasted through the air-shield on its leftover inertia. The tractor beams inside the bay slowed it down, but not in time to stop it from jamming it's bow into the back wall.

Alarmed, the Aglerian sprinted over to the embedded ship just as Lore forced the back hatch open. Fifteen feet off the floor, he jumped down without a second thought and blithely walked to one of the docking doors.

The traffic-controller passed him halfway, stared incredulously at the less-than-visible ship, then came after the cavalier android. "Hey, hold up there!"

Lore stopped compliantly and turned slowly on his heel. Clad in a style one would immediately recognize as vagrant, he had numerous trinkets and half-concealed weapons dangling from his belt. The jumpsuit itself was worn and dark faded tan.

"It's ten bars of gold latinum to dock your ship in the bay!" said the controller, still miffed.

Glancing sidelong at the useless shuttle, Lore raised one eyebrow to him.

"And I'll need to know your name," continued the controller, lifting up the datapadd expectantly.

Lore looked down at his belt and unclipped a large latinum case. "What do you say to 30…" he tossed it to the controller, "…and we forget the name?"

Awkwardly holding the heavy case full of currency, the Aglerian clacked his mandibles once in quick consideration. Smiling as best as he could, he replied, "Welcome to Deep Space Nine, Mr. Jones."

Lore nodded once then easily continued on his way. But as he went through the bay doors, he activated a holoprojector on his wrist. The resulting disguise made his visage change completely. The shape, color, and overall image of his face was unrecognizable. Perfect for him to blend inconspicuously into the crowds of the station…

* * *

_That's all I have for now. Until I get cracking on Chapitre 2, please review! ^^  
_

_~MTrek~_


	3. Chapter 2: Old Faces

_~Pirates of the Federation~_

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_Written by MTrek_

_Edited by BookFan87_

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_Chapter 2: Old Faces

* * *

_

In the _Dauntless_' holodeck, a replica of the 18th century vessel _HMS Victory_ was at half sail, slowly passing through ancient London's harbor. Nearly seventy meters long and six and a half meters in depth, it was powerfully imposing.

On its extensive main deck, several captains, senior officers and crew of the other visiting Starfleet ships watched as the President of the Federation herself pinned the rank of commodore on Chakotay. All were in full dress uniform, but the former captain was perhaps the showiest present. Gold hem-lined and crimson-themed, his new insignia made the outfit complete.

The President and Chakotay vigorously shook hands, then the commodore turned to face the audience, which immediately broke out in applause. Several captains backslapped him and gave their words of congratulations.

Amidst the other spectators in the crowd, Seven didn't look to be too excited. The artificial heat combined with her very tight dress made it hard to even move. She discreetly attempted to adjust the corset through the material, then began clapping as well, trying to hide her discomfort.

Behind her, Data saw her fidget and leaned forward after the applause subsided. "You seem to be expressing discomfort, Lieutenant. Are you all right?"

Inhaling as best as she could, Seven looked straight ahead, masking her hurt once more. "I am fine, Commander. Don't concern yourself with me."

Data complied with her request and left her alone, looking a little wounded.

* * *

From a spaceport far below the ships, the disguised Lore spied his quarry. He'd done a little asking around and found out about the promotion ceremony aboard the _Dauntless_. Stepping into the turbolift, he ordered it to the airlock.

The holodeck had been open all morning to arriving guests, but Lieutenant Commander Nog had been worried about the lack of available security; so he asked his uncle and father for a favor as a last resort. Former Nagus and current engineer Rom was somewhat excited about his task; he didn't often get to play around with phaser rifles. Quark, on the other hand, really couldn't have cared less about this little thing called "guard duty." Leaning against the opposing wall to the holodeck doors, he fumed as he shifted some useless knickknacks in his hand. The only reason he'd agreed to help was because he thought that he could make a profit off people coming in and out. Was he ever mistaken! Now he was stuck with his irritatingly cheery brother playing solider. _Ah well,_ he thought. _At the very least I can convince Nog to pay me for my efforts._

Just then, Lore strolled through the open airlock adjacent to the holodeck and made his way to the doors. Distracted in their own thoughts, the Ferengi suddenly came to attention at the sight of him. Rom hefted his rifle in a protective stance, blocking Lore's path. He frowned staunchly and tried his best to imitate an officer. "This area is off-limits to civilians, sir."

Lore blinked as if taken aback. "Terribly sorry – I didn't know. If I see one, I'll be sure to tell you." With a pleasant half smile, he began to pass them. But they both promptly blocked him again. The outwardly-disguised android snorted to himself inwardly, but replaced his annoyance with a mischievous, albeit casual air. Hearing some voices reverberating from behind the doors, he decided to have some fun with the Ferengi. "It seems there's some sort of party going on in there. Weren't you two invited?"

Rom furrowed his large brow in sudden indignant realization. "No, we were certainly not!" he spat out, punctuating every word. A quick glance from Quark, however, brought him back to planet-side. "…but, er, someone has to make sure this area stays secure."

Through one of the nearby windows, Lore looked at the hull of the _Dauntless_. "This must be some important little schooner," he said in slight, mock admiration.

"Ship," corrected Rom.

Splaying his hands outward, Lore gestured apologetically with an inclined head.

Quark frowned in spite of his determination not to care. This mysterious, dark hew-mon made him ill at ease. Normally he was used to dealing with underhanded people such as himself; but something about this man with his cold, unfeeling eyes seemed very wrong. Rom was professing to the vagrant how much he knew about these types of ships when Quark started listening again.

"You seem to take your jobs very seriously," frothed Lore as he looked past the_ Dauntless_ to the Sovereign-class _Enterprise_ at the next spire. "But it seems to me that a ship like _that_—" he gestured toward the larger vessel— "makes this one look a bit superfluous."

The engineer glanced out the viewport. "Oh… the _Enterprise_ is the flagship of the Federation – but there's no ship that can match a Reactor class for speed."

"Really, is that so?" He pretended that all this was news to him. "Well, I've heard of one that's supposed to be very fast, nearly uncatchable… the _Dark Avarice._"

Now Quark laughed. "There's no _real_ ship that can match the _Enterprise_."

"The _Dark Avarice_ **is** a real ship, Brother," said Rom.

Quark dismissed his comment. "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is. I've seen it."

Rolling his tongue along his sharp teeth, Quark shifted his weight to face Rom. "Oh you have, have you?"

"Yes."

"You've seen the _Dark Avarice_? And you're not just saying that because you saw a representation of what it's _thought_ to look like?"

"No, I have seen it," Rom insisted.

Shaking his head, Quark smiled disbelievingly. "You haven't seen it."

Rom was getting a little frustrated. "_Yes_, I have!"

Lore looked from one Ferengi to the other, waiting for the opportune moment.

"You've seen a ship with a black hull that's crewed by phantoms and captained by a being so ruthless that the Vault of Eternal Destitution threw him back out?" Quark asked incredulously.

A little baffled by the quick onslaught of words, Rom hesitated. "…No."

"No." repeated Quark, his point proved. Lore had begun to move around them, but snapped back to his previous place when Quark looked his way.

"But I have seen a ship with a black hull," said Rom, not about to let his brother outwit him again.

Thoroughly irritated now, Quark widened his eyes in mock surprise. "Oh! And no ship that's not crewed by phantoms and captained by a being so ruthless the Vault of Eternal Destitution threw him back out could possibly have a black hull, and therefore it couldn't possibly be any other ship than the _Dark Avarice_. Is that what you're saying?"

Lore had successfully moved around them and into the holodeck. Even more lost, Rom concluded that if he sounded confident, Quark might give in. "No."

The bar owner cocked his head smugly. "Like I said, there's no _real_ ship that can match the _Enter—"_ He noticed that the suspicious man was no longer there. Looking behind him, he saw the holodeck doors closing and Lore sauntering around the deserted mizzenmast shrouds.

"HEY!" yelled Rom. Both Ferengi darted through the doors after him. Lore ran his hand over the artificial rigging casually. "You! Get back in the hall!" The engineer leveled his rifle at him. "We didn't give you clearance to come in here!"

Lore feigned innocence, holding his hands outward in defense. "I apologize. It's just such a sophisticated little frig—" he quickly corrected himself, "—ship."

Rom turned up the power setting distrustfully. "Who are you?"

"People call me Jones, or Jonesy if you prefer," he lied cordially.

"What purpose do you have in attending a Starfleet ceremony on a Federation ship, Mr. Jones?" asked Quark.

"Yeah, and no lies!" ordered a trigger-itchy Rom.

Lore stared at them for a moment then his cocky smile returned. "No lies? All right, I confess: I intend to borrow one of these ships, pick up a crew on Tsoa VI, and otherwise embezzle and ransack my degenerated positronic relays out."

The Ferengi were speechless. Rom couldn't believe the audacity of this hew-mon. Re-aiming his rifle, he repeated, "I said no lies!"

Quark's point of view changed drastically, seeing Lore in a different light. "Rom… I think he's telling us the truth."

His little brother looked confusedly at him, Lore, and back to Quark again. "If he were telling the truth, he wouldn't have told us."

"Unless, of course, he knew you wouldn't believe the truth even if he told it to you," voiced Lore.

Rom smiled in agreement, but then he realized what the hew-mon was implying.

* * *

The ceremony was winding down now and some of the senior officers had departed back to their duties already. Near the swing guns, Seven wished she had one of those stylish little paper accordion fans they used so extensively back during the 18th century. She was now pale and perspiring, oblivious to the chatter going on around her. Evidently she didn't look bad enough for the approaching Chakotay to notice.

"May I have a moment?" he asked her, hand on her shoulder.

She weakly followed him to the elevated bow of the _Victory_. An awkward silence preluded Chakotay's nervous burst. "You look beautiful, Seven."

She frowned, unable to focus properly; it was even harder to breathe now. The stairs had not been kind to her.

Chakotay mistook her expression for disapproval. "Sorry… but there's something that I've had on my mind for a while now…" He tried to work up his confidence as best he could. "This promotion confirms that I've accomplished the goals I set for myself when I first joined Starfleet. It's reminded me of how far I've come – _Voyager_, the Delta Quadrant…"

He kept on rambling, but it might as well been to no one. Seven couldn't concentrate on anything, her head becoming lighter and vision growing blurry.

"…But it's also reminded me that I still lack one of the essential elements in a successful life… marriage."

"I – I can't breathe," Seven managed to gasp.

Chakotay smiled and faced the shores of London. "Tell me about it; I'm nervous myself—"

Seven lost her balance as her consciousness slipped away, and she fell over the edge of the ship. Looking to her previous position, Chakotay frowned in confusion. "Seven?"

At the other end of the _Victory_, Lore and the Ferengi were now pleasantly speaking to one another. "…And then they made me their leader," said Lore just as Seven splashed into the water. All three men looked over the edge of the ship to see a floating, blue dressed form beginning to sink. Glancing expectantly at Rom, Lore gestured to the water. "Are you going to be saving her?"

Panicked, Rom said, "I can't swim!" Quark just scoffed with a shake of his head.

Lore rolled his eyes: he had no choice and it ticked him off. "Ferengi... fine." Unclipping his belt he shoved it in Rom's arms. "Don't lose this." Then he dove right off the moving ship as closely as he could to Seven. He quickly activated his buoyancy program, but at the same time, his holoprojector shorted out and his true appearance showed through.

Up above, Chakotay yelled, "SEVEN! Computer, end program!"

It answered back, "Overload of occupants. Expect a delay of one minute until end of program."

He swore loudly and began to hurriedly remove his jacket.

Underwater, Lore grabbed Seven's limp body, increased his buoyancy again, then began swimming back up to the surface. But a curious thing took place in Seven's Borg wrist. The chip had been activated. It began to flash a homing signal – invisible to both of them, but very visible to the receivers of its transmission.

Now in the water too, Chakotay stroked hard towards the surfaced Lore and Seven just as the program disappeared around them. Suddenly all the officers were on the same level and the two swimmers were on the far edge of the large holodeck. Rom, quick to help, came over to the wet men and tried to offer his assistance.

Seven was still unconscious, but Chakotay was trying to revive her. Rom let out a plaintive, "She's not breathing!" Several other officers watched from a wary but concerned distance.

Lore, now disguised again, pushed aside the others. "Move." He leaned over Seven and unsheathed a blade. The other two were shocked as he slit a perfect vertical line down her mid-section, freeing her from the corset. She reacted immediately to the loosening in her bodice and coughed up water, taking a deep breath after getting it all out.

Rom looked at Lore in surprise. "I never would've thought of that."

"Clearly, you've never been to the Eris Colony," he replied bluntly.

Seven attempted to sit up with Chakotay's help. Placing a hand on the deck, the chip fell out of her wrist; Lore spotted it and picked it up. Her eyes darted to his hand and he looked slowly up at her. "Where did you get this?"

Picard began running across the deck to her. Somewhat recovering her composure, Seven snatched the chip back from him before he got there. The captain came to her side, removing his outer jacket and placing it on her. She was, after all, now wearing a ripped dress. "Seven! Are you all right?"

"Yes – yes, I'm fine. Had these two not reacted so fast, I may have been drowned in a virtual ocean."

All of them standing up, Chakotay made a quick study of Lore as he re-donned his uniform… then extended his hand. "I believe I owe you a thank you."

Lore cautiously took the commodore's proffered hand shake. Chakotay instantly tightened his grip and pulled the other man close enough to reach his holoprojector. Upon its deactivation, Lore's true appearance reemerged, stunning all the officers within eye range.

"Had a run-in with the illegal holographic traders… pirate?!" forcibly spat out a knowing Chakotay.

Picard recognized the old face immediately. "Lore!"

"Someone get some heavy duty restraining cuffs… So you're the infamous brother of Commander Data," said the commodore. A few officers brandished their spare phasers on Lore. "What are you doing here, Lore?"

"Captain Lore, if you please--" He looked at Chakotay's jacket. "--Commodore."

Chakotay glanced behind him at the other captains. "All the captains of all the present ships are here. Unless your vessel is a shuttle craft, no docks are open for an actual ship." He smiled smugly at Lore.

"These are his, sir," said Quark, speaking up at the slimmest opportunity of profitability to him. He snatched the belt from Rom and handed it over. Chakotay examined the belt and found an arrow-type disruptor.

"Not enough power for more than one shot," commented Chakotay. Removing a handheld device next, it gave him pause due to its ancient design. "An outdated Galactic Positioner that doesn't point to Earth."

Lore looked a little embarrassed now. Chakotay's descriptions of his effects made him sound quite pitiful.

Removing the last weapon from the belt, he took out a twenty millimeter switch blade, and smiled at the android. "And I half-expected it would be made of wood." He flipped it closed and handed the belt back to Quark. "You are without a doubt the _worst_ renegade I've ever heard of."

"Ah," Lore held up a finger. "But you _have _heard of me."

A lieutenant returned with a strong pair of restraints and approached Lore. Seven finally came forward, Picard's jacket slipping off, but the captain was intent on keeping it on her. "Commodore, pirate or not, he saved my life."

"He has a long, very colorful history with my crew and the _Enterprise_. I can't believe you would even think that one good deed would rectify this man's past," voiced Picard as the lieutenant finished snapping the cuffs on Lore.

"But it does seem to be enough to condemn him," added the pale facsimile of Data.

Picard clenched his jaw in annoyance. "Indeed."

Now restrained even beyond his great strength, the officers around them stowed their arms except the lieutenant. He stepped forward to guide Lore, but the android had been waiting for him.

"Finally." Too fast for any human to react, he crescent-kicked the weapon clear out of the lieutenant's hand, and grabbed Seven with the broad side of his cuffs, making an effective choke hold. Phasers were drawn again instantly, but now Seven had become Lore's shield. All aims wavered at this turn of events.

Lore smiled his memorable serpent grin. "I knew you'd warm up to me," he whispered in Seven's ear.

She was livid at her new position and her former rescuer.

"Commodore… my disruptor and my belt, please."

Chakotay balled his fists in frustration, hesitating.

"Commodore!"

Rom grabbed the belt and disruptor from his brother, giving it to Chakotay who held it out to Lore.

"Seven – it is Seven, isn't it?" oozed the pirate.

"It's Lieutenant Nine," she said curtly.

"Lieutenant Nine, if you will be so kind?"

She grabbed the items from Chakotay, but Lore was one step ahead of her, grabbing the disruptor as soon as it's close enough. He then jerked her around to face him, both of them pressed together, stomach to stomach.

"Now, if you'll be very kind?"

She realized what he meant… and glared nastily, putting the belt roughly on him. As she reached around his waist, Lore smiled conceitedly at the helpless officers. Chakotay was on the verge of shooting the android's smug face with the power set on vaporize. But he knew he couldn't risk hitting Seven.

"You are truly vile," she hissed at Lore.

He laughed at her. "One tries. I saved your life, you saved mine. We're even."

When she finished, Lore twisted her around again, pointing his disruptor at her face and backing up to the holodeck doors. "Gentlemen – my lady – I believe you'll always remember this as the day that you _almost_ caught… Captain Lore!" He shoved Seven into the crowd of officers and darted through the doors.

A few managed to get off a shot at him, but he got around the corner before they could aim properly. Several chased him into the hall, including Picard.

Sprinting down the corridors of the ship, Lore found a turbolift and got inside before his pursuants could catch up to him. Picard called out, "Computer, halt turbolift six and return to deck eighteen!"

Inside the lift, Lore felt it begin to descend then looked up at the ceiling.

All the officers trained their weapons on the doors, waiting for them to open. But when the lift returned, it was, of course, devoid of occupant. Picard sighed heavily in aggravation.

Back near the holodeck, Chakotay and Seven exited just as the _Enterprise's_ captain was heard over the intercom. "This is Picard; there is an intruder aboard the _Dauntless_ near decks eighteen and seventeen, section five."

"Seven, are you going to be—"

"Yes, I'm all right, I'm fine. Go capture him," said Seven dismissively.

Chakotay was taken aback by her ire, and wisely headed down the corridor in the direction of the chase.

* * *

_What do you think so far? Doesn't Lore seem a bit different since the last time we saw him in Descent? I'll have more soon. =3 Please review!_

_~MTrek~_


	4. Chapter 3: The Fight and The Stab

_~Pirates of the Federation~_

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_Written by MTrek_

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_Chapter 3: The Fight and the Stab_

_For L and Izzy. I hope you like fight scenes, girls! ;D_

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* * *

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Even with bound hands, Lore made better time in the Jeffries tubes than the officers attempting to track him on the decks. He headed to one of the schematic maps in one of the intersections on his knees, looking for the correct area. _Good, only a deck above_, he thought to himself.

* * *

Down in DS9's command center, the operations officer was sitting lazily a ways off from his post. A small alert flashed up on the display:

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**Spatial Anomaly Approaching**

**Unknown Origin**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

But it was ignored when the strong demanding voice of Chakotay spoke over the station. "Attention all Starfleet personnel. There is an armed, dangerous renegade currently aboard the _Dauntless_. Set phasers on kill."

* * *

Outside the station itself, the Bajoran sun wavered in light intensity. The anomaly, a large fog-like mass, was approaching.

* * *

Lore tapped in the coordinates of his desired beam point into the _Dauntless _transporter then stepped onto the pad. Materializing away from the ship, he beamed over to the one next in line – the _Enterprise_. Inside another Jeffries tube, he continued on to engineering. He needed to find some way to get his cuffs off, and he deduced that there had to be some cutting tools down there. Navigating his way through the more extensive tubes of the much larger ship, Lore finally exited into engineering. The blue and red coils of the warp core pulsed slowly, at rest, and the section appeared to be deserted to his good fortune. He also took note of the only other way out was the main door, slightly hidden by the walls. No nearby turbolifts. On the walls though, were the tools he had been looking for – laser spanners.

He began to advance to the far side of engineering, but a noise from across the room made him instantly go on alert. Searching for the source, he saw a dark skinned man asleep on one of the tables. It was Commander La Forge, snoring soundly and unaware of him. Creeping over, Lore intended to remove his VISOR, but found that he no longer wore it. Frowning, Lore decided that from the rhythm of La Forge's breathing that he was sleeping deeply enough for Lore to be safe.

Finding a strong enough laser, he used both of his bound hands to activate the beam. The metal began to glow, turning from red to bright orange. Had he been human, Lore's skin would have melted away from the intense heat of the cuffs. Once the metal was pliable enough, he let his artificial strength to do the rest. The manacles easily bent off and they fell to the deck. Free!

The sound of a door hissing open caused him concern again. Darting behind one of the walls, he attempted to hide.

Commander Data walked into engineering. Having left the ceremony early, he had been on the ship for some time. Although the second he'd heard about the incident on the neighboring ship and that his brother was now on the _Enterprise_, he'd immediately begun to search. He saw his best friend asleep on the diagnostic table. Geordi had been there since early that morning and Data didn't want to disturb him, but he needed help finding the Lore.

Something unusual caught Data's eye before he could wake him. On the deck was the mangled pair of cuffs, still red hot. He made his way over to pick them up, but he felt an ice cold prick on the nape of his neck when he knelt down. Freezing in place, Data's gaze snapped behind. An echo of his own face looked right back at him, holding a nasty silver blade. Slowly coming to a stand, Data turned to his identical twin.

A spiteful smile came to Lore's mouth. "Data… always a joy to see a familiar face."

"I cannot say I share your feelings," said Data coldly. He hadn't seen his brother in several years, since before he had his emotions. Now that he had them, he felt a slew of angry, hostile fervor. They

both stared at each other in silence, waiting for the other to make a move. Without breaking his gaze with Data, Lore checked his internal chronometer impatiently. "I'd love to stand here with you

longer, but I'm on a tight schedule these days. So if you'll excuse me…" He began walking away, the blade still pointed at Data.

"Emergency Security Alert, Engineering!" yelled Data into the com system. "We have located the intruder."

Lore's arms fell to his sides and his shoulders sagged, only having got three steps away. Rolling his eyes, he put his free hand on his hip. "Do you really think that was wise? Inviting humans down here will only cause unnecessary deaths."

Data glared at Lore as he moved towards one of the walls with saw-style laser cutters.

"I wouldn't do that, Data," warned Lore. "We both know that weapons can't typically injure us, but do you really want to go up against the only being that knows your internal layout like I do?"

His gaze unmoving, the first officer picked up one of the largest cutters. "You threatened Lieutenant Nine."

Extending his blade ten centimeters, Lore jutted his lower lip out contemptuously. "Only a little."

Another strong surge of emotion went through Data. His cutter was similar to Lore's but its purpose was entirely different. With heated teeth, it looked like a hand-held saw as he leveled it with Lore's blade. His older brother chuckled under his breath. He was so confident, it was nearly amusing; but what really made him laugh was how easy he predicted this to be. He had many years of cold combat under his belt and playing under dirty rules. Tauntingly sliding his edge along Data's cutter, Lore lunged at him faster than any organic life could manage. Luckily, Data wasn't organic.

He fainted in response and parried right back. The two exchanged defensive and offensive moves, blurring as they reached their top speeds. Lore was disappointed for a fraction of a second -- Data matched him perfectly. _What did you expect, Lore?_ he thought to himself. _If you know him like he knows you, it isn't going to be easy.__  
__  
_Five point two seconds and sixty-seven moves later, they stopped a little bit closer to one of the Jeffries tube entrances. Lore regarded his brother appraisingly with a smile and one last swipe. "...Ta!"

He darted for the tube. Data turned up the heat level to maximum on his cutter and launched it at the entrance controls, directly for the closing circuit. Embedding itself all the way through, even the hilt disappeared as the small doors closed in Lore's face.

Slowly turning around, he faced Data again. "Nice trick." He began to advance toward him again. "Except, once again, you are between me and my way out." He twirled and flipped his blade over his hand easily.

Data grabbed one of the last cutters off the wall, this time a larger one just in time to block another jab from the viroblade. As they kept fighting, Lore spoke up, "You know what you're doing, I'll give you that."

Trying to intimidate him, Data replied, "I have had the chance to be exposed to 452 different styles of personal combat throughout my years on the _Enterprise._"

Lore attempted to throw a reverse slash at Data's weapon arm, right where his axial servo was, but failed. "Ha, really! I thought you weren't built for combat, Little Brother. You need to find yourself a woman; you spend too much time deluding yourself behind those computer screens. You're forgetting your principal programming!"

Data did a side swipe, stopping him off from continuing. The combatants circled around the warp core, but the commander still managed to keep himself in between Lore and the exit. Catching his cutter in an over hand strike, Lore pushed hard against his brother's equal strength. "Or, maybe you're so absent minded as to study 452 different styles of combat because you've already found one. But due to your android nature, you are therefore incapable of courting said woman." He grinned nastily at Data.

Data set his jaw at the remark, pressing harder on Lore's blade. That was getting too close to the real truth of his feelings for Seven. "I have retained various styles of combat so that when I am approached by a _pirate_, I may dispose of him properly!" This time Data planted a firm kick to Lore's chest, causing him to fall back against the wall.

In the corner of Lore's eye, he saw a bundle of power cords. Before Data could react in the small space, the pirate cut through the cables and set off a volley of sparks in Data's face. It overloaded his optical sensors, causing him to drop his cutter and stagger several steps back.

When he recovered his sight shortly thereafter, he found a disruptor barrel pointed between his eyes. Data's anger flared indignantly. "I believe this would be classified as cheating."

Lore smiled smugly. "Pirate... what did you expect?"

They were both closer to the exit now. The entire fight had lasted only a minute and thirty-six seconds, and the back up security still had not arrived. Lore stepped forward, but Data had yet to give up, even with a gun in his face.

"Move away," said Lore warningly.

Data stood his ground. "No."

Lore was feeling a little panicked. That team would be there any second. "_Please_ move?" he implored sarcastically.

"NO! I cannot just step aside and let you escape."

Clenching his teeth, Lore armed the disruptor with a whine of power. "......This shot is not meant for you."

Data frowned in confusion, cocking his head slightly.

Suddenly, a forgotten Geordi creeped behind Lore and flipped his off-switch. The android froze in place then fell face flat on the deck, unconscious.

Just arriving as well, a security team led by the armed Chakotay and Kira jogged into engineering. Upon seeing their prey, Kira smiled through her panting. "Nice work, Commanders! Saved us the trouble of taking him down."

Chakotay stood over the motionless pirate in quiet triumph. "I believe we will all remember that this was the day that 'Captain' Lore almost escaped."

The security team began to haul Lore away. Data watched them leave, relieved his brother was finally back in custody. But he was still puzzled... _why didn't Lore shoot?

* * *

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_So what do you think? I apologize for the LOOONG delay, but classes and quarters... you know the story. ;D Reviews and comments are welcome! ^^_


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